The Kitchen is finished!
And here’s the before:
Additional after photos:
We replaced the electric stove and microwave with a gas stove and giant vent hood.
New Fireplace
The Beetle Juice fireplace has been officially replaced!!! Once again, I owe a huge thanks to my super-talented father-in-law, (see his previous workmanship on the Master Bedroom Bookshelves).
A family friend and the amazing designer behind Oliver Designs, (her website is coming soon), suggested I go for something modern, like this:
(Design by John Lum Architecture, Inc. AIA, featured on Houzz)
So here’s the Beetle Juice BEFORE:
SIDE NOTE: It’s actually not within code because it’s surrounded by drywall and provides no escape for the heat with the tapered top mantel.
And here is the AFTER:
There’s no instructional for this because it was a little out of my league. It required mortar, several pieces of stone, a stone-cutting machine, 2x4s, and an EXTREMELY talented father-in-law/carpenter. I did learn how to grout though! Perhaps that will come in another post.
(Take note of my parents’ super happy dog in the left corner. He likes the fireplace makeover too).
Here’s to fireplaces that are within code!
CHEERS!
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The house is no longer orange!
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Good-bye orange house! In two weeks you will be the color November Rain - my husband picked it out because it was the name of a Guns n’ Roses song - go figure. Ohhh, there will be a red door too - I’ve always wanted a red door! Check back in a couple weeks to see the AFTER. And CHEERS to that!
PROJECT: Master Bedroom “House” & Bookshelves
This past week I had the pleasure of having my handy father-in-law stay with me at my new house. We decided that we would spend his visit working away. Here’s a picture of Daddy Klein helping me conquer my fear of, (drum roll) - THE TABLE SAW.
Let me back up and explain why TABLE SAW came into play. Here’s a before pic with the previous owner’s set-up.
I had no idea what to do with the turquoise “house” inlet in the wall as well as the glass shelving to the left of it. I knew I wanted to replace the light fixtures within the “house,” but that was about it. It wasn’t until a talented family friend and interior designer, Dee, gave me some great tips. First, she told me to turn the “house” inlet into a regular rectangle or arch. Then, replace the glass shelving with wooden shelves, (in comes TABLE SAW). I still was not sure how this would look so she sent me to this fabulous interior design website, SuzanneKasler.com. There, Dee referenced one of the bookshelves shown on Suzanne’s site:
Pretty dreamy, right? I showed Daddy Klein the picture and he was up for the challenge, (he’s kind of like a fairy godmother, but in a rugged way with tools). So, we set to work!
We measured out the size of the inlet and then sketched out a rough spec of it. After purchasing the wood, I painted each piece with a white paint/primer combo, (while Daddy Klein was using the infamous TABLE SAW)!
My cat, Atom, is not amused here. He’s mad because I disciplined him about jumping up on the freshly painted wood pieces. Here’s my evidence of his mischief:
After all the pieces were cut and painted, we started to assemble the bookshelf. Then, we placed it into the inlet, (while holding our breath and hoping our measurements were accurate). SIGH! - IT FIT!
We added trim on the exterior. I picked something that reminded me of columns and accented it with another base trim piece to take it even further. Presto chango, here’s what it looks like now:
Daddy Klein also got rid of the “house” inlet. I think it makes the room look larger. I replaced the sconces with some that I found on clearance at Restoration Hardware. The mirrored furniture piece I found at Marshall’s for $170, (pieces like this are priced at $400 and up)! I’m still working on dressing up the room, but I think we made big steps!
Normally, I’d celebrate with wine, but Daddy Klein prefers Iced Tea. This was his daily fuel:
CHEERS!
Martha Approves!
AH HA - the proof I needed….the recent Martha Stewart Living says yellow kitchens are in! See:
Ah well, I’m going to change mine anyway:
Martha should follow up with a cover article on orange houses. :) CHEERS!
My House is Orange!!!
My new home is one giant project. My husband and I just purchased it with plans to fix it up. I have NOTHING against the color orange…except when it’s on the outside of my house!
Here are some pics, (all BEFORE pics). The previous owners had really eclectic taste, (which I appreciate), but I’ll be working to make it my own.
FRONT OF HOUSE: I love that the previous owners were not afraid of color. Unfortunately…I’m a bit more timid with color when it comes to the exterior. We hope to paint this more neutral with pops of white.
BACK OF HOUSE: Yay spiral staircase! I’ve always wanted one of these! Again, we’ll make this more neutral eventually. My husband also wants to add a climbing wall one day (sigh).
FAMILY ROOM: Honestly - how cool is this room? Again, I have to give props to the previous owners’ bold taste (shown here). I think a lot of home buyers were turned off to it, but I just see a world of possibility!
KITCHEN: Open…
Kitchen (again): My brother laughed when he saw the yellow formica and vinyl breakfast nook…I just see P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L!
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Oh the difference white trim makes! I’m painting all the trim in my house a bright white.
